Re-Vamped
by translucentflesh
Summary: A modern twist on an old classic. Very loosely based on Bram Stoker's Dracula. (Rated for language and adult subject matter. I expect this to get quite violent and a bit sexy later on- you have been warned.)
1. Chapter 1

**This is my first attempt at a fanfic so I apologise if it's not great. I'm honestly my own worst critic when it comes to my writing so it takes me ages. So with this I've just decided to write whatever and just have fun. Like I said its only an "attempt" but I hope you like it :)**

**Translucentflesh xx**

* * *

Chapter 1

Billie awoke slowly, her eyes were heavy and her dark hair was draped loosely over her face. The noise of her mobile's electronic melody rang shrill in her ears. She dragged her face from the pillow and looked up her clock. Her vision was groggy so at first she could only see a blur of red lines but as she focused she read the time- 3:24. _Jesus_, she thought,_ who the hell is calling me at this time?_ Nonetheless she picked the phone up from her beside table and glared at the number "Unknown". She held the phone unwaveringly and then slammed it down on the table before throwing her head back on to her pillow. She lay, staring in to the blackness above her, her eyes stinging from her exhaustion. She outstretched her hand to the other side of the bed, running her fingers over the soft sheets, through the empty space were John should be. He'd only been out of town for a few hours but she already missed him so much. Billie knew that his job was important to him, as hers was to her, and even if he didn't win this case his heart was pure and set on justice and she would be proud of him. She gasped as her phone buzzed loudly on the table. _Urgggh_. She slammed her hand over, grabbing her phone and in the process knocking over her clock with weary indifference. She wrenched her ageing flip phone open and pressed it to her ear.  
"What?" she sighed, expecting one of those stupid call centres but half-hopeful it might be John.  
"Billie," the voice on the other end of the phone was measured but tinged with quiet remorse. "I know it's been a while." the man paused and suddenly panic welled within her. His voice was so tangibly familiar. "I…I umm.. didn't know who else to call. It's Jack."  
"Oh Jack. Of course I do." she swallowed hard, some base instinct warned her he had something to tell her. Something potentially shattering.  
"I still work at the hospital. And umm.. Err.." She could her Jack's usually soft voice begin to croak "Oh god Billie.. They.. they brought her in this morning. I didn't know who else to call. I…"  
Billie felt a lump pit in her stomach. "Loose?.. She's in the hospital. Is she hurt? Is she…"  
"Billie." Jack paused "She's dead ."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Billie. It was Loose who gave her that name, the day they meet, the first day of secondary school. Before that everyone had just called her by her full name, it was long-winded and ancient, Billie had always hated it. Billie was quiet and bookish-looking although ostensibly she wasn't book smart. Loose, on the contrary, was eccentric, with her attitude was as noticeable as her shockingly red cropped hair, and nick-named for her sexualized sense of style although she was anything but promiscuous. Whilst Loose herself was naturally smart, her talents soon went to waste just in her final year. Right after her dad killed himself. Loose had hardly known him, he and her mother had split up when she was so young, he sent her presents occasionally and only really showed up for her birthdays and yet somehow still his death managed to send her over the rails. She fell in with a bad crowd namely her boyfriend, Morris. Everyone knew in school he was trouble, drug deals regularly passed through his hands behind the back of the gym hall but after school it progressed to insurmountable heights. Petty crimes stooped to full blown felonies- car thefts, trafficking, arms dealing. Murder. It was no secret that Morris was a gang leader. Whilst Loose became a criminal Billie erred on the side of the law, she took her good morals and moulded them in to a career by joining the police force. Loose fell in to Morris' world, she knew it wasn't love (at least not for her) but she was desperate she needed someone to care about her. She did anything he asked of her but she couldn't live with the guilt and she resorted to the only method she could find to numb her aching conscience- drug abuse. Throughout her downward spiral Billie remained stringently at Loose's side but Loose pushed her aware for fear that Billie's career would threaten Morris. Billie tried desperately to get her friend to see sense but she just could reach that dark recess of Loose's mind and all she was able to do was nurse her friend as Loose slowly lost her control. One fateful night, after Loose had been privy to one of Morris' more violent altercation's with someone who owed him money, Loose indulged in her method of forgetting too deeply and she overdosed. Billie barely managed to drag her shaking and fragile body to the hospital before the life drained from her.

That was when Loose met Jack. Back before he finished his post-grad in psychiatric nursing and he still worked in the A&E. There was no doubt in Loose's mind that Jack saved her life. He inspired a hope in her that Billie had never seen before. With Jack's faith in her and Billie's support Loose managed to clean up her act. It took her over a year but Loose purged herself of the narcotics and exorcised her demons the last thing she got rid of was Morris. He didn't take it well but he could never bring himself to cause any harm to Loose. A few times he turned up at the flat Loose and Billie shared to beg for her back but soon was off-put by Billie's position in the police force, especially after she got her gun license. With Morris out of the picture Billie thought Loose might defect to Jack for comfort, his love for her was no secret not even to Loose herself, but through her ordeal Loose had grown. She was so grateful to Jack more than she could ever repay and though she fervently wanted to return wanted to return the adoration he showered her with she didn't love him. She just didn't.

Jack couldn't bear to continue their friendship knowing nothing more would come of it so he immersed himself in his work and Loose got a little job in a bar to take her mind off her things. Loose and Billie once again became as close as they had been when they were younger and life went on.


	3. Chapter 3

Billie pulled the cruiser round to face the docks. As she stepped out the smell of the salt air hit her like a crashing wave. She inhaled deeply gathering her train of thought. Billie spied her partner Cooper waiting on the gangway to a massive freighter which despite its size was gently bobbing on the sea. The wind whipped the rain around Billie's face and she could feel the rain pounding on her shoulders.  
"What we got Coop?"  
The drenched Cooper lead her up the gangway and towards the back of the ship where there where stacks of metal shipping containers all groaning in the wind.  
"Theft. Caretaker called it in about a half hour ago. One of the shipping containers was broken in to."  
"What's the cargo?"  
"Cars. Headed for a showroom downtown."  
"Grand theft auto?"  
"Just the one." Coop grinned.  
"So this is a mob heist, right?" _Damn Morris_, she thought even after Loose had left him, he was still the biggest cause of trouble in Billie's life, polluting the neighbourhood with his blatant criminality. Even after all these years they'd still never managed to be able to nail him he was too damn well connected.  
"That's what I thought 'til I got here." Coop said stopping to turn down a row of containers.  
"What do you mean?" But Coop didn't have to answer her. She turned to see the container which was the scene of the crime. The doors of it appeared to have burst open the metal was contorted outward. "Jesus." Billie gasped "It looks like someone's smashed it open from the inside out."  
"That's exactly what I thought." Coop nodded "I'm thinking stowaways. Illegal immigrants. They must have snuck in to the container before it was sealed, used the car to bust out when the ship docked." He shrugged.  
"No," Billie breathed, taking the torch from her belt and advancing apprehensively towards the battered doors of the container. She traced her fingers along the rough dents in the coarse metal. She drew in a sharp breath.  
"Coop!" she shouted, flicking the light from her torch back towards him. "Look."  
"What the hell" Coop muttered breathlessly. "That looks like a handprint." He shook his head "No that's impossible. No. No. It had to be done with a car. The amount of force…"  
"Shouldn't their be scratches." Billie was right, there were no chip's in the container's coat of fading red paint and no transfer of paint from a car as there should be.  
"This is so strange." Coop muttered.  
"It's about to get stranger." Coop turned to see that Billie had evidently turned from the door while he pondered its appearance. She was now staring in to the mouth of the container and shining her torch at it. On would assume the light would illuminate down the length of the container but the beam was halted by as sheer wall of what appeared to be soil.  
"What…" Coop moved closer.  
"Don't." Billie snapped. "Don't touch anything. We better get forensics down here."  
"Wh… What.. happened to the car?" Coop spluttered  
"I don't think it was ever in this container."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"I've met someone." Loose announced as she burst through the door of Billie's house. "And he makes your Johnnie-boy look like a toad."  
"Bullshit," Billie smiled as she prised her eyes from the TV to smirk at her. Despite it being an ungodly hour in the morning the pair were awake. Loose had insisted on moving back in with her mum when Billie and John got serious however whenever John was away on business trips she frequently made appearances. Loose often worked late at the bar and ever since Billie had been working the night shift their early morning conversations had become routine.  
"He exists. I swear." Loose rebuffed plopping herself on the sofa.  
"Uh-huh."  
"Shut up," Loose grinned punching her playfully on the shoulder.  
"Okay. Fine, fine I believe you," Billie giggled "So who is he then?"  
"His name's Artie," Loose sighed dreamily "He's been at the bar a few times in the last couple of weeks. I noticed him right away. He always wears a suit. I mean who wears a suit to a bar like that? Even besides that he was hard to miss- blonde curly hair, blue eyes, cracking ass…"  
Billie nearly doubled over with laughter, Loose certainly knew how to paint a picture.  
"Anyways, he would always smile at me and give me tips and sometimes we'd make small talk. But tonight we had a conversation , I mean a proper conversation. So much so I kinda forgot to get the punters drinks, I thought Mark was gonna do his nut, I don't think he'd ever actually fire me though… Where was I? Oh yeah, anyway me and Artie talked for hours…"  
"Love at first sight?" Billie asked flippantly.  
"Piss off," Loose smiled "No. But there was definitely… something. Anyway he gave me his number," Loose took a piece of paper from her and began waving it in front of Billie's face. "And he asked me out."  
"When?"  
"Tomorrow night" Loose grinned and then glanced at her watch. "Well technically later tonight."  
"Eh, what happened to playing it cool? Do you really like him that much"  
"Are you kidding me! How long did you wait before you had sex with John again?"  
"Well technically there's a three date rule."  
"Yeah well I might be pregnant by then."  
Billie was practically in hysterics, "Oh my god. You're serious. You actually have feelings for this guy."  
Loose bit her absent-mindedly lip, Billie could tell she had struck a nerve she knew her friend, she knew Loose was terrified of being vulnerable- as vulnerable, as weak as she'd been with Morris. Billie knew just what to do, she looked her friend dead in the eye and said:  
"What makes you think me and John have had sex anyways?"  
Loose, suitably distracted, stared incredulously at Billie, "You're engaged." She squinted her eyes at her. "C'mon let's see that rock." Billie wiggled her left hand in the air,  
"And on top of that there are dents in your bedroom wall."  
That was it. By this point Billie had dropped of the couch with laughter and was rolling around trying to dodge the pillows that Loose was throwing at her.  
Billie was content she had her job and her loving fiancée and that finally her friend that she cared so much for would have someone to take care of her. And she just prayed for Loose's sake this guy would be a damn sight better than the last.


	5. Chapter 5

**Just a heads up this chapter is going to have a slightly sexually scene. Feel free to skip this chapter if you are uncomfortable. Much love xx**

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"Loose. You know you can tell me anything." Arthur stretched his hand across the table towards her, his blue eyes were sparkling.  
"Artie I hardly know you." He adored the nickname that she'd given him. He knew she was right, he was foolish to be so hopeful but couldn't help it, his heart swelled every time he looked at her.  
"I just," Loose drew her hand away "I have a lot of history and…" she stared across at the innocent, young man in front of her she'd never felt so confused in her entire life and yet so sure that all she ever wanted was him. "Maybe this wasn't such good idea. I… think I should just go."  
Loose started to slide her chair out from under the table slowly, she didn't want the who restaurant to notice her leave, the last thing she wanted to do was put Artie to shame just because she was a coward.  
"Is that really what you want Loose?" he whispered.  
She stopped moving and sighed, her heart was heavy in her chest and her thoughts were clouded apart from one resonating desire that she didn't want to leave Artie, not now.  
"No," she muttered her glistening eyes pointed firmly at the floor, "I want to tell you the truth." she looked around at the people on the restaurant and could feel several pairs of prying eyes on her "Just not here."

They didn't even eat at the restaurant and they spent the taxi journey back to his house in silence. Well in reality it was more of a mansion. As soon as Loose was through the doors she told Artie everything- about Morris and the gangs, her drug addiction, her friend Jack whom she missed hopelessly and even how her mother had had a heart attack only weeks before (the _real_ reason she'd moved back home, which she hadn't even told Billie yet so as not to spoil the happiness of her engagement). The whole time she spoke Artie said nothing, he made no move but when she finished speaking he simply took her in his arms and held her to his chest. He promised, he swore to her that he would always be there for her and that he would try and help her heal her pain if she would save him from his loneliness, he promised he would never judge her past if she would accept his present, he told her she was beautiful, he told her he needed her.  
He told her he loved her.

Loose considered for a brief moment that all these beautiful promises could be lies. But she decided she didn't care. In this moment she felt loved and whether real or not, that was enough. She threw her arms around his neck as his moved to her waste. In their haste their lips crushed together. She knew it was wrong, lying on top of a couch with a man she hardly knew, she knew she shouldn't but she didn't care. She was running her hands through his light curls, half-pulling his hair in her excitement. He moved his hands beneath her dress, gently running his fingers over her thighs. He didn't stop kissing her the whole time and it made her breathless. She suddenly felt him hard against her hips. She couldn't wait another second, she moved her hands down to his trousers and with trembling fingers slowly managed to get them unbuttoned. He'd stopped kissing her and abruptly grabbed her wrists. Loose was quivering she dare not move. He stared deeply in her eyes.  
"No," he whispered "This isn't right."  
"What?" Loose stammered.  
He lifted her hips tenderly of his and set her upright on the couch. Loose had scared him with her story, she knew it, she had too much baggage, she wasn't worth the risk. She swallowed the lump in her throat- she refused to cry. After a few unbearable seconds Arthur spoke.  
"It's too soon. We should wait…. I don't want to take advantage of you."  
Loose was so conflicted was he rejecting her or wasn't he. Was there any chance he didn't despise her. "Do you want me to leave."  
Arthur looked almost hurt by that question. "No. No of course I don't want you to leave." he gingerly put his arms round her shoulders and she faithfully accepted his embrace.  
Arthur desperately wanted to make love to her, to prove that all he had told her was more than words but for tonight it could wait. He kept his arms around her and they sat and chatted until she feel asleep in his arms. Then Arthur carried her to his room and laid her down on the bed. He watched her pale skin glow white through the moonlight streaming in his window. She was the most hauntingly gorgeous woman he had ever seen. Entranced he climbed in to the bed beside her, he could feel the air aching in the mere centimetres between their bodies. And as he too slowly drifted off to sleep he could have almost sworn he saw a black shadow eclipsing the full moon.


	6. Chapter 6

The sun had long since set when Billie strolled in to police station. Coop was already sitting at his desk flicking through some papers, even despite Billie's stern punctuality Coop was always there before her. Tonight she had decided upon scraping her back in to a tight bun, it was a sort of superstitious ritual for her. The uniformity of her appearance made her feel more in control when she had to deal with unusual cases.  
"Got he results back from forensics," Coop waved a handful paper at her.  
"And?" Billie questioned leaning across the table but refusing to sit.  
"No DNA from the 'handprint' but the smash didn't come from a car. And ballistics confirmed the blast came from the inside out."  
"What about the dirt?"  
"Well I expected it to be laced with narcotics."  
"Right." Billie nodded.  
"It's not." Coop grimaced.  
"It's not?" Billie slowly slunk in to her chair.  
"It's just dirt," he shook his head incredulously, "Native to Romania. But get this, the cargo of all freighters are checked when they leave the docks. There were 150 containers on that ship when it left the Romanian port, it was carrying 151 when it arrived here."  
"So that container was never supposed to be on board. Was anything actually stolen?"  
He paused for a few seconds. "No."  
"Ok," Billie had to carefully measure how to respond, she let a few moments pass. "I'll get in touch with the car trading company see if they could have any possible connection with this phantom container."  
"Right I'll get down to the docks see if I can find any more evidence." Coop said rising from his chair.  
"You won't be able to," Billie interrupted. "The docks are closed: dangerously high winds."  
"What's with this weather?" he chuckled.  
Billie laughed too but what Coop said next somehow it sense a shoot of ice through her veins. "It's like that ship brought a dark cloud with it."


	7. Chapter 7

Loose had woken that morning in Arthur's bed. He wasn't there. She had wandered through the halls of the house for the first time fully appreciating it's enormity and luxury. She sat on the couch, the couch they had sat on last night. Together. She stared longing at the flickering fire in the hearth before her, which must have been lit only this morning as she hadn't noticed it the night before- she had been rather pre-occupied. Loose began absent-mindedly scratching her neck, she felt so exhausted as if her emotions were draining her. Just then Arthur appeared. He gave Loose a crooked smile and knelt in front of her.  
"I didn't want to wake you. You looked so peaceful." he breathed as he handed her a freshly cut rose.

* * *

Loose felt so giddy that day. Arthur had asked her to spend the day with him but her conscience led her back home to check on her mum. Who as always scolded Loose's worry for her and then interrogated Loose on her new 'friend'. She and Loose laughed and gossiped for hours, they had always been close more like sisters than mother and daughter. Loose hadn't told her mother what Arthur had said that morning, her mother was supportive but even she would be shocked. But Loose had to tell someone and she found herself excitedly rushing over to Billie's.

"Johnnie-Boy!" Loose shouted as she bounded in to the house and gave him a hug. "You're back early!" she smiled. Billie stepped back decidedly awkwardly, Loose had just caught her and John in the middle of a passionate kiss but Loose was never one for discretion in social situations.  
"You taking care of my girl," she winked. Billie put her face in her palm.  
"I see your new man has been taking care of you," John retorted. "Billie's been telling me all about him. That's one hell of a love-bite." He flicked her neck.  
"What?" Loose rushed over and checked herself in the mirror, staring at the purple ring on her neck.  
"Artie doesn't do love bites."  
John chuckled.  
"He's a gentlemen," Billie taunted.  
"Shut up. Hmm, it must be a bruise." Loose shrugged. "And Artie is a gentleman."  
"Arthur Holmwood?"  
"How do you know who he is?"  
"How do you not know." John chuckled. "His family owns Godalming LTD, only the largest insurance firm in Europe. He's a goddamn billionaire!"  
"Oh," Loose paused deep in thought for a moment. "I don't love him for his money."  
"Love?!" Billie half-shouted, stunned.  
Loose was visibly shifty and rapidly changed the subject.  
"So, John what brings you home."  
He smiled empathetically "I'm not staying long. I have to get back."  
"Ooh is this about this big secret case you've been working on." Loose giggled.  
"It is actually," John replied grinding his teeth. "Loose, you better sit down."  
Loose plonked herself on the couch and Billie sat beside her. John remained standing the way he would be if he were addressing the court.

He spoke the words so fast "It's Morris."  
Loose jumped at the sound of his name and Billie instinctively grabbed her hand.  
John continued more slowly. "We've always known he's been running a gang but we've never been able to convict him. Never had enough empirical evidence. But two days ago the police caught one of his goons- some guy called Charlie."  
"Crazy Charlie. His right-hand man." Loose grimaced at the memory.  
"He was so desperate not to go back to prison he handed over a ledger. It details all of Morris' criminal activity for the last three years. And with Justice Stevens out of the picture for malpractice I think we can finally nail him."  
"And you want me to testify?" Loose muttered. No one spoke. "I'll do it." she smiled rising from the sofa. Strangely she looked happier than Billie has seen in a long time.  
"Are you sure?" John asked nervously.  
"Yes. I can finally get closure." Loose beamed. "Oh and this morning Artie asked me to marry him." She turned to face Billie. "And I said yes."  
Billie jumped from her seat "What?!"  
"Congratulations" said John.  
"Are you out off your mind!" Billie continued taking no note of John's comment. Loose merely stared at her, bemused and brimming with happiness.  
"You won't stop me."  
"This is insane," Billie stood, towering over Loose's small frame, wringing her hands at her.  
John moved to put his hand on Billie's shoulder "Billie remember our first date I told you we'd get married some day." he whispered tenderly.  
"You didn't actually propose." she retorted.  
"But I knew," he grinned taking Billie's hand. "I just knew."  
"You hardly know him." Billie pleaded.  
"I know enough," Loose huffed indignantly. "You know me, Billie. You know I won't just sit around and wait forever. I want to be with him."  
"This is infatuation. Not love." Billie scolded.  
"It's enough."  
Billie felt the irritation at Loose's foolishness welling within her. She almost exploded in fury at friend before Loose stumbled forward a few steps. John caught her quickly.  
"Are you alright." Billie gushed, any anger had drained from her body.  
"Loose," John gasped. "You look really pale."  
"I'm fine," Loose replied flippantly, shrugging off John's hands and lowering herself back down on to the couch. "I'm just tired. I'll go lie down."


	8. Chapter 8

Loose woke up in cold sweat. Her whole body throbbed with a dull ache and there was a sharp shooting pain jolting up her left arm. She felt as if her heart was beating in her neck. Her vision was groggy, she felt the sheets which were wrapped around her were coarse._ Where the hell am I_. The last thing she could remember was pulling pints in the bar. The first thing she focused on was a thin tube running along the length of her arm and slowly sinking under the flesh up in to her vein.  
"You're awake," A raspy child-like voice echoed from the end of the cold metal bed. Loose slowly dragged her head from the pillow to observe a lank and dishevelled looking man sitting cross-legged on the end of the bed. The man's eyes were fixed on his hands which were cupped and trembling in his lap.  
"He's here!" Tears of joy began brimming in the man's eyes. "And you.." His head snapped suddenly towards her. "You must feel so lucky, Miss Lucy."  
Loose felt her blood run cold. "How the fuck do you know my name!" she spat.  
The man, unfazed, simply chuckled to himself. "Can't you feel his presence." he leaned closer towards her "He's coming for you…" And with that he unfurled his hands to reveal a large, bulbous spider wriggling in the palm of his hands. With one fell swoop he scooped the grotesque creature in to his mouth. Two long spindly legs hung lifeless outside the man's mouth as he slowly chewed and then pensively swallowed the insect. Loose ripped the sheets off her. She was ready to stand and run when a doctor came running towards them.  
"There you are!" he exclaimed.  
"Jack?" Loose whispered, her voice was a dry croak with fear. Although she still felt disorientated and terrified of the deranged man grimacing at the foot of her bed she instantly recognised her friend. But he did not answer her.  
"Hello Renfield. Been on a little adventure have we?"  
"I've been making friends." Renfield grinned ominously at Loose. "Miss Lucy here…"  
"Jack?" she hissed pleadingly. But Jack merely smiled pleasantly at her and then continued conversing with Renfield.  
"Yes I see. Well Miss Lucy isn't feeling very well at the moment."  
"She will be much better soon enough." Renfield nodded assuredly.  
"Nevertheless, I think you should let her get some rest."  
"Very well," Renfield agreed using his hands to lift himself from the bed. "May I have a cat?"  
"We'll discuss it," Jack  
"You never indulge my requests," Renfield groaned petulantly as he followed Jack away down a long, sprawling corridor.

Unsure what to do Loose propped herself up in the bed. She stared at the drip in her arm, it made her feel sickly- she hated needless. She rolled her fingers round the small tube with the mind to draw it from her arm.  
"Don't do that,"  
She looked up to see that Jack had returned.  
"Are you alright?" He smiled  
"He ate a spider."  
"He does that," Jack chuckled.  
"That man is completely insane."  
"It's shame, really. He's quite intelligent and really very charming when he's lucid."  
"He was saying some really weird things." she muttered nervously. "A..about me."  
"Don't let him scare you. He doesn't mean it, he's just a bit… wandered."  
"Ok," Loose smiled, reassured by Jack's words. "So you're doing pretty well on the psych ward then?"  
"Are you really trying to make small talk?" He smirked.  
"I'm surprised you're talking to me at all."  
"I don't hate you." His voice was low and melancholy.  
"I wouldn't blame you if you did." The air between the two was tense, Loose could see Jack's thoughts torturing him. She cleared her throat. "So, umm any idea how I got here?"  
"Yes actually. Seems that you passed out at work and when no one could wake you up they brought you here. They called me over when they noticed that." Jack pointed one long finger towards Loose's neck.  
She lifted her hand to where the bruise on her neck was but pulled her hand away after it had barely brushed the skin and whimpered in pain.  
"Careful," Jack gasped.  
"Why did they need you?" Loose questioned.  
"I've seen that kind of mark before." he answered gingerly.  
"On one of _your_ patients?"  
"On Renfield."  
"What!" she shouted.  
"Relax. The disease is not attributed to his mental state."  
"Disease?! I thought it was a bruise."  
"Well I believe that in the absence of any ostensible wounds on your body that marking can be attributed to your severe blood loss."  
"Blood loss?"  
"It's why you passed out." he paused. "Loose you've had a massive blood transplant. That's why we had to keep you in yesterday, for observation."  
"Oh my god. It's Thursday!"  
"Loose, what's wrong."  
"My mum, she'll have no idea where I am. She's not been well," Loose painstakingly drew the drip from her arm not permitting herself to show any sign of discomfort. Then she scrambled out of the bed, quickly gathering up her belongings which had been placed on a chair in the corner. "I have to get back."  
Jack just stared on at her incredulously. "Loose, you're not well yourself. You should stay here." he implored her.  
"I'm fine." she said pulling her jeans on underneath the hospital gown which she tucked roughly in to her into them. She curled the rest of her belongings under her arm and turned to walk away. She heard Jack's shuffling footsteps slowly follow her.  
"Loose…"  
"I'm sorry, Jack."


	9. Chapter 9

"That was Loose. She's with her mum just now. Turn's out she was in the hospital." Billie announced as she pocketed her mobile phone.  
"Christ." John replied dragging his case towards the door. "I knew she looked unwell, we shouldn't have let her go to work ."  
"I can't believe I didn't even know,"  
"She can look after herself," John assured her. "She's got more common sense than you give her credit for."  
"Sense enough to marry a guy she just met?"  
"Well.." John smirked "Did you get any more info on that mystery container?"  
"Yeah actually. I did some research on the car traders and it turns the company sent rep over to keep an eye on the stock. He was responsible for supervising the loading of the containers and keeping record of them."  
"So you think he purposely miscounted them to accommodate the container full of mud."  
"Exactly," Billie nodded. "Although we still have no idea why."  
"Maybe the guy was just nuts."  
"Well that's the other thing I found out," Billie's voice was serious. "When the rep returned he was committed to the mental ward at the hospital."  
"Oh," John found himself slightly embarrassed at his earlier comment.  
"Coop was going to go check for more forensic evidence but I told him it was pointless. The  
Sergeant said he will probably put the incident down to the man's derangement. Which means I don't have to go in tonight. Case closed. "  
"Lucky you. I've got a case of my own to get to," John smiled, kissing her forehead. "Goodbye Billie."  
"Good luck. I'll miss you babe." Billie whispered as she closed the door behind him.


	10. Chapter 10

"So you're not mad at me." Loose asked again as she handed her mother a cup of coffee and sitting opposite from her at the kitchen table.  
"Of course I'm not." she smiled contentedly at her daughter. "I was never angry. Concerned, yes. But I'm just glad you're safe now."  
"I'm surprised you didn't call the police?" Loose joked. "Well.. Billie at least."  
Loose's mother chuckled. "No, no. Of course not. To be honest I thought you'd be away with that boy."  
"Artie!" Loose frantically fished through her handbag for her phone. "I was supposed to meet up with him." She looked at her phone: _18 missed calls_. Loose giggled to herself. "I better give him a call."  
All of a sudden the coffee mug smashed on the floor, sending shards of splintering china spurting across the floor.  
Loose snapped her head up. "Mum?" Her mother was slumped back in her chair, one arm dangling limp above the shattered mug, there other clawing manically at her chest. Loose kicked her chair behind her and snatched her car keys from her bag. Instinctively she picked up her mother, supporting her weight and dragged her torturously slowly towards the door.  
"Hang on. Hang on, mum." Loose knew she could get to the hospital faster than an ambulance could get there. Her mother was a dead weight leaning on her shoulder as Loose used sheer force to propel them down the hallway. The two bodies swayed and Loose stumbled and slammed her side in to the wall, knocking down mirror which shattered on her feet. When they finally reached door Loose wrenched it open with one gnarled hand, the other was clamped firmly round her mother's waist. Her car was only metres away but dragging her mother across the cobbled drive was excruciatingly hard. Once she finally managed to toss her mother fragile body into the car she strained the seat belt across her.  
"It's ok, mum. It's gonna be ok."  
Loose ran round to the drive's side, slamming the door she shoved the keys in to the ignition. The engine turned over, as her mother groaned in the seat next to her.  
"C'mon. C'mon dammit!" she screeched as the engine spluttered. After a few painful seconds the car started and Loose launched out of the driveway. Loose pressed her foot down on the accelerator as hard as she could, desperately hurtling towards the hospital. The car barrelled down the winding roads speeding through every red light. Her mother's breathing suddenly became very quiet. Loose glanced round to look at her momentarily. When she look back she saw a figure in the middle of the road, thinking it was a person she hit the breaks, hard. The tyres squealed like a wailing child. Knowing it was too late, Loose watched helplessly as the car spun out of control. They spiralled closer to the darkened figure- a wolf, howling in the road.

The car rolled. The roof of the car collapsed inward, the crunching metal sounded like the tolling of bells. Loose through her hands up as the glass from the windscreen burst across her face. Loose suddenly wailed in agony. She felt a huge weight crush violently in to her lower abdomen. The contorted mass of metal and bodies finally rocked to a halt. Loose felt all her energy dwindling, she new her mother next to her had already gone. She didn't know if the car was upright or not and she felt herself drenched in blood but she couldn't tell where it was coming from. The pain in her abdomen was scorching and unbearable, she almost welcomed the cool embrace of death to save her from the agony but she was terrified. She wanted to live. Loose then felt a dark shadow cast upon her face and look through the broken window to she a man gradually advancing towards the car.  
"H-h-help…"Loose choked through a mouthful of congealing blood.  
The man made no move to rush. He was tall, with chiselled features and dark slicked hair.  
"Help," Loose breathed through tear-filled eyes, urging the man to hurry. She languidly outstretched one bloodied hand through the broken window.  
The man clasped her hand. He drew his face close, lapping some of the blood from her palm. Loose quivered in horror, she desperately wanted to drag her hand but the man's hypnotic gaze rendered her immobile.  
"Loose," he hissed, grinning widely at her.  
"W-w-wha…How do you…"  
"Ssshh." he hushed her softly.  
"Answer me something, Loose. Do you want to live?"  
"Yes." she burbled through a fresh clot of thick blood.  
"Nothing is without a cost," he smiled stroking her hand. "Are you sure?"  
"Yes!" she cried without hesitation. "YES!"  
The man smiled, his lips fully pulled back over his sharpened teeth and leaning closer towards her whispered. "As you wish,"


	11. Chapter 11

**_Sorry its taken so long for the new chapter. Hope you like it :) xx_**

* * *

Chapter 11

Billie's hands were balled up in to white-knuckled fists. She was perched on the edge of the creaking plastic chair, rocking gently, back and forth. There was a sickly bubbling in the pit of her stomach and a bloodstained image replaying in her mind.  
"Here," Jack pushed a thin paper cup unsteadily in to her hands. His hair had been pushed back unevenly, his eyes were stinging from his inability to cry anymore tears. The water splashed over Billie's hands in little droplets from the shaking cup in hands.  
"Billie," Jack grasped her hands, he was still dressed in his scrubs. "I'm sorry. I didn't want… didn't want. She had no next of kin. I didn't know who else…"  
Billie still see her. Loose lying on that slab. Greying complexion, torn flesh, blood that had been split from her veins drying on the surface of her skin. She'd seen things like this before, it came with the territory. She had been called to scenes before with bodies, motionless on the ground. But they'd never been people, just crime scenes.  
"Billie?" Jack was stroking her hand. "Billie. I…" he was burbling now, more leaning on the chair beside her than kneeling. She just patted his hair, unable to speak, unable to know what to say. How could he have loved her so much. Poor Jack. He fell in love with her so quickly, he was hers from the moment they met. It seemed Loose had that effect on men, that was part of her allure.  
"Artie…" Billie croaked, she had been silent so long the words were painful.  
"What?" Jack wearily lifted his head.  
"Arthur Holmwood. She and him. They were…"  
Jack groaned painfully. "I've heard of him." He stood uneasily. "I'll give him a call. You gonna be ok?"  
Billie wasn't sure she' ever be ok. Loose had been her best friend, her sister, with out her she was merely a half, on her own. But what could she do? She nodded gingerly at Jack and he shuffled off down the corridor.

Mere seconds passed in blinding silence, before a gurney ripped down the hallway. The twitching man strapped to it was swaddled in blankets, blood stains garnishing his shoulders. Four pale faced doctors were running along side shouting frantic instructions at each other. Billie felt a blast of air hit her as the gurney hurtled past. Billie glared down the hallway where the gurney had just been, it had turned in to a small room and now the hall was eerily quiet. Billie followed the gurney's last steps, tracing lines on the walls. She curled her fingers over the entrance to the room. Loose might have been dragged in to a room in the same manner had she survived that long. Billie watched, as the doctors pressed hard down on the man's chest, sending spatters of blood across the room. A few flecks landed beside Billie's feet and she stepped forward. No one noticed her, they were all fretting over the man on the gurney who had stopped twitching. Billie could see now, all the blood was spurting from a huge tear in the man's neck. Billie only saw the body she didn't she the man, but as she stepped closer she focused on the eyes, fresh with death, she saw his face. As her vision closed, circling to black, one of the doctors noticed her.  
"What the hell are you doing here!" he screeched "Get out!"  
Billie was swaying, falling, she spluttered to try and form a response to the doctor but only one word passed her lips: "Coop?…"


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

"Loose told me all about her." Arthur muttered gesturing towards Billie's delicate, stirring frame. "She's got a fiance."  
"John." Jack nodded, pulling a chair round next to Arthur so he could sit at Billie's beside. "They were dating when I knew her. Perhaps I should call him."  
"Don't," Billie hissed. She was still lying flat on the wiry little hospital bed. Jack had found the quietest ward to put her in the corner of. More than a few times Jack had been ordered to go home lest he lost his job but he had decided not to care. He had initially told Arthur not to come to the hospital, he should see a beautiful ghost at Loose's funeral not a battered corpse, but given the circumstances he felt he should. Although Jack felt Arthur was unusually still, like he was numb. And now there was Billie. Just hours after her friend had died and her police partner had followed suit and now he would have to tell her this.  
"How are you feeling?" Arthur looked at Billie.  
"Artie?" she gasped. Arthur threw his arms around the woman he'd never met before. Jack just leaned back in his chair.  
"I don't know what to say, Billie." Arthur's voice crackled. "I don't know what to do."  
Billie hushed him, sitting herself up she took Arthur's face in her hands.  
"How could I have doubted her," she whispered to herself . "She was right about you."  
Now the man was softly weeping on her shoulder. Even though all coloured had drained from her face, her eyes red with bitter exhaustion and her hands trembling, Billie was still the strong one. Jack just watched as the two comforted each other, solemnly with his arms folded across his chest. After a few moments of silence Jack could stand it no longer.  
"I'm sorry Arthur. I have to tell her."  
Arthur just turned, burying his face deeper Billie's shoulder. Billie gently patted Arthur's soft curls and stared icily at Jack.  
"She needs to know." Jack spoke indignantly and with pained clarity.  
"What?" Billie's voice was a harsh rasp "What do I need to know."  
"Loose." Jack muttered rising and turning his back to her. Arthur's sobbing had stopped he lifted his face from Billie's shoulder and dabbed his eyes, his breathing was staccato and heavy.  
"You know they brought her… brought her here." Jack faltered "She was here. She was still… and now…" Jack pressed his face in his hands.  
"Now?" Billie paused "Now what? Jack, what? Tell me!"  
Arthur glanced at Billie with eyes weighted with the burden of some terrible truth. Jack suddenly turned to face Billie's expectant gaze.  
"Loose." he groaned "She's gone."  
"What?" Billie gasped. "What do you mean?"  
"Gone!" The noise erupted from Arthur's lips, he wailed loudly. "She's gone. Someone's taken her. My angel! Gone."  
"Pull yourself together." Jack snapped. Arthur looked with tear-stained cheeks towards Billie, hopelessly as if for some defence.  
"Jack's right this isn't helping anyone." Her voice was soft but calculated. Arthur quietly slunk back in his chair and folded his hands in his lap. "Loose's is gone. Someone broke in to the morgue. Stole her body." She spoke the words like a true police officer, as if she'd never even known the girl, she was just reporting some senseless crime.  
"Yes but…" Jack chewed his lip "The door to the morgue. It was ripped off its hinges, smashed open."  
Billie looked at him puzzled.  
Jack sighed heavily "The door was broken down from the inside out."  
Billie sprang to her feet. Both of the men rose with her.  
"Billie," Arthur went to her side, as she flung on her coat.  
"Billie, your not well enough…" Jack muttered.  
"Jack," Billie scolded him "I have to go."  
Both Arthur and Jack turned to look at each other. Their jealously over Loose had waned, in place was something more important the reverence of her memory. So with silent lips and steely eyes the two sealed a vow that they would help Billie do whatever it took and they would find Loose.


	13. Chapter 13

_**Hey guys x sorry I haven't updated in so long, the humdrum of day to day life has been keeping me busy. Thankfully it's my holidays now so I should be updating more regularly.**_

_**Thank you so much to all those who have been reading the story so far. XXX**_

Chapter 13

The staff at the hospital were wholly indifferent to the fact that a body had been stolen and indeed more perturbed about the fact that someone had broken the door to the morgue. Jack made his way downstairs to the floor below the ground floor which housed only the morgue and the hospitals ever-increasing mountain of laundry. Jack had made this trip only a few hours before, when Billie lay unconscious, strangled by turbulent dreams and Arthur had sat shaking at her side unable to view the body, as he put it- "in such a clinical and unfeeling freezer". Although Jack knew that for certain that no horrors faced him in the morgue, that he would never have to see Loose's gentle body lying still on a cold grey slab he, still felt a surge of apprehension as he traversed the long corridor which led straight to the morgue. Jack could see that the door still lay contorted on the floor in front of the doorway. The heavy steel door appeared to have been bent and tossed aside with the ease that a child would crumple a piece of paper. Jack stooped, standing in the sheer blackness of the morgue's vacant doorway, he composed himself with a deep breath. As he exhaled Jack was convinced he saw a the flicker of a shadow rippling through the darkness. He quickly reached his hand round to the wall and flicked the industrial switch which sent the fluorescent bulbs bursting in to light.  
"Holy shit!" Jack shouted.  
"Sssshhh," Renfield muttered quietly. He was sitting crossed legged amidst the gurneys which were covered with white sheets propped up by bodies or (in some cases) what was left of them.  
"Don't shout. You'll wake the dead." Renfield smirked. Jack's patient had chosen to situate himself on the precise gurney on which Loose's body had lain.  
"What are you doing in here?" Jack uttered with as much civility as he could muster but he feared his gritted teeth revealed his bubbling anger.  
Renfield simply giggled, he had appeared to have acquired a significant number of huge, bloated spiders which were crawling amidst his legs. Jack glanced around him, he was uneasy at how quiet and still his surroundings were given the presence of his patient situated in the centre of the morgue. It was as if there were no life on earth save himself and the deranged man before him.  
"Did you do this?" Jack questioned uncertainly. He stared at the thin man before him, the logical part of his mind knowing that their was no way his meek and frail patient could ever be capable of ripping a door from its hinges and stealing a corpse, the other part however made his body tremble at the thought that he was trapped below the hospital with a lunatic.  
"Do what?" Renfield smiled innocently, staring intently at his hands which were cupped on his lap.  
"There is a girl missing from here." Jack said slowly as speaking to a small child as he paced forward.  
"Miss Lucy."  
"Yes. Miss Lucy. Did you move her?" As Jack inched closer he was suddenly hit by the putrid smell of rotten flesh, more so than the omnipresent musk that usually had previously filled the morgue.  
"No. I have no time." Refield replied petulantly. "I am waiting."  
"Waiting for what?" Jack could see that the purple sore on Renfield's neck had grown substantially. It appeared that the resurgence of the sore had caused more blood loss as he appeared deathly pale.  
"The Master. Of course."  
"And did 'the master' move Miss Lucy." Jack asked mimicking Renfield simple manner of speaking.  
Renfield did not speak he simply raised his hands, allowing the spiders which had been crawling across his arms to fall and revealing the source of the rotting smell. Cradled in Renfield's delicate hands was a small bird, wings outstretched, with its entrails spilled across its stomach and its glassy eyes fixed towards Jack. Without warning Renfield placed one of the birds wings in his mouth and began tearing it from the birds body with animalistic ferocity.  
"Stop it. Stop it!" Jack shouted wrenching the bird, save the dismembered wing, from Renfield's mouthand tossing it to the ground. He stared utterly bewildered at Jack's audacity. He swiftly finished his wing, chomping on the brittle bones and swallowing the sinewy flesh. Horrified at what Renfield had just done Jack grabbed his patient roughly by the shoulders and attempted to drag him from the gurney.  
Suddenly Jack felt a biting pain across his face. Renfield had struck him. With surprising force the madman shoved the doctor to the ground, and then leaping over him disappeared down the sprawling hallway, cackling manically.

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**Shortly after I finished this chapter my cat returned home with a mutilated bird dangling by its wing from his mouth. The irony was not lost on me. XX**


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Billie was aware that give her grief-stricken state she probably shouldn't have driven to the station, her mind was so fixed on the events of last night that her car had swerved amidst the traffic, drifting unsteadily across the road. Billie had pondered pulling over once lest she crash and kill herself… just like… No. The thought of Loose lying mangled in the wreckage of her car gave Billie the reckless courage to just keep driving.  
Billie stormed through the front doors, oblivious to the quiet murmurs of condolence and concern from her colleagues and made her way towards Coop's desk.  
"Billie." the deep husky voice of the Chief boomed throughout the room. The buzz of other voices immediately ceased. Ignorant to the world around her and wholly enveloped in thoughts of finding Loose, Billie kept walking.  
"Billie." The Chief repeated with agitated clarity. "Sergeant Murray." If the Chief thought that pulling rank was going to make Billie stop, he had another thing coming, she was adamant about getting to the information she needed.  
"Wilhelmina!" Billie abruptly stopped. No one had called her by her full name since childhood, most people didn't even know it. She turned on her heels and walked up to the Chief, drawing her face in close.  
"What?" she hissed. The Chief grabbed her arm and swiftly led her in to his office. Billie felt like a child being brought before the head teacher.  
"Sit down." The Chief said moving round to his chair.  
"I..I…"  
"It wasn't a request, Billie." Reluctantly, she sank in to the chair opposite him. "Billie, you can't just come barging in here and.."  
"Mack. Listen," Billie interrupted, calling the Chief by his first name as she often did when not in the presence of her co-workers. The familiarity between the two had grown over the years and now she counted Mack as more than a mere supervising officer. "It's Coop. He's…"  
"I know that." Mack sighed. "The hospital called. And I just got off the phone with his parents." Mack raised his hands to his face. Dragging them down his face and shaking his head slowly. Billie stared at Mack, a man of such resilience, unquestionably moved by the loss of an officer. It suddenly hit Billie that she hadn't lost one friend last night, but two. She was overcome with a wave of fresh grief, the pain overwhelmed her. Her only two friends in the world were dead and she was caught up in a hopeless search with two men who only stood by her because they were in love with her late best friend. As much as she wanted to find out what happened to Coop and discover Loose's body, what she wanted most in the world right now was for John to come home.  
"I was there… at the hospital. I saw Coop's body." Billie tried to remember how her partner looked, his childish smile and his sparkling eyes with all the candour of youth but she couldn't. All she could envision in her mind was his pale twitching body and cold, glassy eyes. Mack stretched a sympathetic hand across the to reach Billie's. She took a deep breath.  
"I need Coop's files on the phantom container case."  
"No, Billie." Mack said squeezing her hand gently. "I know about your friend Lucy." Billie's heart sank at the mention of her name. "You're too mixed up right now. You need to go home, get some sleep and sort your head out."  
"But…"  
"But nothing, Billie. Your too close to this case."  
"Loose's body was stolen," Billie blurted out.  
"I'm well aware of that fact also. But there's little we can do, I've put Wilson on it but we don't have the resources to launch an extensive search."  
"The morgue door was busted open the same way the container door was. Now tell me that's not a coincidence." Billie folded her arms across her chest.  
Mack sighed again, running his fingers down his beard. "I was afraid you'd say something like that."  
"What?"  
"Coop." Mack replied "He was found at the docks. He went back to look at that container. The boy was convinced there had to be more than just mud. I told him to leave,, I know you did too. Hell the docks were even closed 'cos of the weather but y'know Coop, there's no stopping him once he gets an idea in his head," Mack chuckled to himself. "I guess that's why you too are such a good team."  
"Were…" Billie whispered.  
"In any case, the container case is closed for the time being."  
"Excuse me?"  
"Billie there's a cop killer on the loose. Ripped the boy's fucking throat out." Mack banged a fist hard on the table. "I am not putting anyone else in harm's way."  
"You don't find it suspicious that at all that Loose and Coop died on the same night?" Billie shouted rising to her feet.  
"Not in the slightest." Mack stated. "Billie. You and I both know who died this." Mack said softly gesturing for Billie to sit down. With some apprehension Billie slid back on to the chair, fearing the words she knew Mack was about to speak. "I know that Loose was set to testify against Crazy Charlie. And I think Coop was right about that container, that it was more than just mud. Obviously someone didn't want him snooping around no more so they shut him up. Billie," Mack paused.  
"No. Just don't."  
"You know it was Morris."  
"No." Billie said "No. I know Morris. He would never ever hurt Loose. Jus, no."  
"Look as much as I want to class Loose's death as an accident, to say that she was just driving too fast trying to get her mother to hospital, the fact that her body has gone missing leads me to believe otherwise."  
"Morris wouldn't.." Billie stuttered.  
"Well perhaps not Morris per say, but one of his loyal goons might have caused the crash to cover Morris' ass." Mack suggested, "As for Coop, well his death sure sounds like Morris' particularly violent brand of handiwork. And the fact that someone actually stole Loose's body, well you can't tell me that doesn't emulate Morris' trademark obsession with the girl."  
"I hear what you're saying, Mack. I do, but I can't help but feel there's more to it than that." Billie paused, chewing on her lip.  
"How do mean?"  
"I don't know. But I don't think Morris is behind this one."  
Mack drummed his fingers lazily on the table. "You're over thinking this Billie. Go home, get some rest. Take the week off."  
"I need to see Coop's files on the container case. And I need access to both crime scenes, where Loose and Coop were killed." Billie said with conviction.  
"No."  
"Mack, whether you agree or not I am going to get to the bottom of this. So just let me.."  
"No." Mack said sharply.  
"Fine." Billie retorted. "Then I'll solve this one alone."  
"You're really going to do this?" Mack asked gently.  
"Yes."  
"Then I have no choice but to suspended you until further notice."  
"You can't do that!" Billie shouted, jumping to her feet.  
"I'm the Chief," Mack asserted. "And I just did."  
"Look if you think I'm just gonna give up on.."  
"Go home, Billie." Mack said exhaustedly. "And try to keep yourself outta trouble."


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Arthur sat curled up on the couch of the house that Loose had shared with her mother. Billie had given him the spare keys to the house and Jack had expressly told him to go there and "look for clues". Who the hell did they think he was?- Scooby Doo?! It was blatantly obviously that the two of them both thought he was of no help and merely wanted him out of the way so Arthur hadn't argued with either of them he merely took the keys and nodded politely. So he sat, uselessly on the couch, cradling one of Loose's jumpers in his arms. He pressed the wadded up fabric tightly to his chest, the vibrant fuchsia jumper still carried Loose's sweet fragrance. God, had it really only been two days since he'd last seen her, since held her in his arms, since he'd asked her to marry him? It felt like a lifetime ago and yet as Arthur sat in Loose's home amidst the dirty dishes piled up in the sink and coats and shoes still lazily dumped at the front door, he imagined he could still feel Loose's presence and felt as though, paradoxically, they had spent no time apart at all.

The time Arthur spent lying on Loose's was counted not in seconds but in teardrops. Long after Arthur had lost count of the number of tears on his cheeks which now stained Loose's jump, he heard a knocking a the front door. Arthur rose swiftly, neatly folded the jumper and placed it to one side before wiping away his tears with the back of his hand. He walked to the front door, realising how strange it would be to answer a door that wasn't his own on behalf of a fiancée that no longer existed. Arthur hesitated a moment; pondering who could possibly be at the door, Loose's mother had died beside her last night and, from what she had told him, she had no other family. Arthur then deduced that the person at the door could only be Billie, and with that he opened it.  
"Jack?" Arthur said in surprise, as the tired looking doctor stepped over the threshold. Jack was still dressed in his scrubs and white coat, and appeared in a mild state of shock.  
"Hey Arthur," Jack said in a oddly polite manner, to the man whom had been his rival for Loose's heart. "I just wanted to make sure you were ok."  
"Yeah," Arthur breathed. "I'm fine. Just fine."  
"No you're not." Jack replied.  
"No I'm not." He agreed, smiling.  
Arthur sat back down on the couch, as Jack made his way to the kitchen and began to fill the kettle and set out two mugs.  
"What do you take in your coffee, Artie?" Jack called through to the other room.  
"Just sugar," Arthur replied, sighing heavily at the fact that Jack had just called him by the nick-name Loose had given him. "Lots of sugar."  
Moments later, Jack returned with two cups, setting them down on the coffee table and sitting on the couch next to Arthur. Jack's coffee was milky white whilst Arthur's was pure black and he could help feeling that the mugs were strangely mimetic of both of them- polar opposites.  
"Thanks," Arthur muttered.  
"Arthur," Jack said with some apprehension. "Do you hate me?"  
"A little." Arthur chuckled, lifting his cup. "But I hate myself more."  
"Why?"  
"You came straight here- I'll bet without getting lost for fifteen minutes, then you went in to the kitchen and you knew exactly where everything was- you knew her better than I do. And you were there for her, at a time when no one else was." Arthur paused, taking a large gulp of his coffee allowing the saccharine liquid to sooth the lump in his throat. "You were the man she was supposed to be with, Jack. Not me. And I should have been telling her that rather than keeping her all to myself."  
Jack patted Arthur's shoulder. "You know I've told myself that a thousand times- that I'm who she should be with. I did everything I took care of her, I listened to her, I loved her but it wasn't enough. Then I realised something," Jack said softly turning to face Arthur. "the moment I saw you. That there was nothing more I could have done… because she didn't love me. No matter how much I wanted her I couldn't force that emotion from her." Jack smiled at the meek man before him. "She loved you, Arthur. I could see in her eyes that she was in love the moment she showed up at the hospital."  
Arthur had been smiling innocently back at him until Jack spoke the final word, suddenly Arthur's face went pale.  
"Loose was in the hospital?" He gasped.  
"Yeah, the day before she… Well I though you knew." Jack replied calmly. "She'd collapsed at work from blood loss. She needed a massive blood transfusion, she was kept overnight."  
"That's why she missed our date," Arthur said half-confused but half-relieved. "I thought she was having second thoughts about me. Why? I mean what caused the blood loss?"  
"A large purple sore on her neck, I believe." Jack spoke as clinically as any doctor, simply describing symptoms as though he had no connection to the patient he was speaking of.  
"Well I didn't cause it," Arthur asserted. " I noticed it the morning she left mine," he added, blushing slightly. "  
As an afterthought, Jack suddenly said, "I'd seen that mark before."  
"On who?"  
"Ah, well…" Before Jack could explain there was another knock at the door. Jack rose and answered it.

Billie suddenly barged in to the house, evidently fuming.  
"I just got fucking suspended!" Billie shouted throwing herself on to the couch where Jack had just been sitting. Jack followed her over and perched on the coffee table facing her and Arthur.  
"Well if its any consolation, so did I." Jack replied.  
"What?" Billie murmured in a significantly calmer tone. "You. Why?"  
"I lost a patient."  
"How?" asked Arthur.  
"Well he'd got into the morgue. I found him eating a small bird, but when I tried to taking him back to the psych ward he slapped me across the face and ran out. I searched the whole hospital but no one had seen him, so naturally when I told my supervisor he suspended me."  
"Eating a bird?" Arthur exclaimed.  
"Yes." Jack smirked, as if laughing at some private joke. "Renfield was obviously deranged. I'd often find him munching on flies or spiders but he'd always been such a sensitive man, I was totally caught off guard when he hit me."  
"Wait a second," Billie said, staring intently at Jack. "Did you say Renfield?"  
"Yes that's his name."  
"Thomas Renfield?"  
"Yes," Jack replied "How did you know that?"  
"Last night, the man they brought in on the gurney- the reason I collapsed, it was because he was my partner, Coop."  
"Oh Billie, we had no idea…" Arthur began.  
"That's not the point, Artie," she interrupted. "He and I had been investigating this case, what we thought was the theft of the contents of a shipping container. Coop was found lying in front of that container with his throat cut open." Billie pause, a while composing himself. " Anyways what he discovered beforehand was that this container never contained a car, like it should of, at all. Instead he found out that the containers had been purposely miscounted to allow the passage of an extra container. The man responsible for counting the containers was the rep that the car company had sent to oversee the shipment- a Mr Thomas Renfield. Who was, in fact, admitted to a psychiatric ward upon his return." Billie beamed proudly at her deduction.  
Jack suddenly to Arthur. "Renfield was the patient who had the same blood-letting sore as Loose."  
"I knew this wasn't Morris." Billie said. Arthur felt a pang of anger at the name of the man who nearly ruined Loose's life. Arthur looked up and could see on Jack's face that he felt the same way.  
"Not by a long shot." Jack agreed.  
"What was in the extra container?" Arthur asked, all of a sudden immersed in thought.  
"Mud." Billie shrugged. "We thought it would might have been laced with narcotics but it wasn't. It was just mud."  
"Did you test it for anything besides drugs?" Arthur asked.  
"No."  
"Well what if it wasn't just drugs. What if it had been carrying something else."  
"Like what?" Jack piped up.  
"A disease." Arthur replied.  
"Genius!" Jack shouted. Playfully slapping Arthur's shoulder.  
"Is that possible?" Billie questioned.  
"It's entirely possible that the dirt in that container could have been incubating a pathogen which caused the blood-letting sores and Renfield's eventual derangement." Jack posited.  
"But why?" Billie asked. "And why would anyone kill a cop to protect a disease?"  
"Not just a disease," Arthur said, "A biological weapon."  
"So definitely not Morris then." Billie replied.  
"Not likely," Jack nodded in agreement.  
"Wait a minute, Renfield certainly came in contact with the container but Loose never did. How could she possible contract a disease? And how come Coop and I didn't?"  
"The mud which carried the disease would have also diluted it. Not everyone who came in contact with the disease would have contracted it but they would have become carriers." Jack answered. "You came in contact with the container and the subsequently came in contact with Loose. Presumably she simply had a weaker immune system and the disease was passed on."  
"So I killed my best friend." Billie said despondently.  
"No you merely passed on a disease to her," Jack asserted. "She crashed her car. It was not your fault, Billie. I don't believe it was anyone's fault. It was an accident. "  
"But the theft of Loose's body wasn't." Arthur realised. "That's why whoever created this disease took Loose's body, so they could monitor it's development."  
"Presumably yes," Jack explained. "But to truly monitor the disease's progress they would need a living infected person, so know I'm starting to think that Renfield's disappearance is no coincidence. What I first believed to be an escaped lunatic may actually be a kidnapping."  
Billie stared uncertainly from one man to the next both of whom were abuzz at their new found theory which neatly linked each case. But Billie wasn't entirely convinced, something just didn't sit right with her. She couldn't explain it but she felt as though something far more sinister was behind her friend's death- and it was definitely no accident.  
"So what do we do now?" Arthur asked, interrupting Billie's train of thought.  
"I need to get a look at that container." Jack replied.  
"No." Billie said quietly. "Not tonight."  
Jack gushed "But I may be able to isolate the strain of bacteria and identify…"  
"No you won't," Billie halted him. "You're no epidemiologist, Jack."  
Jack sighed knowing she was right.  
"Not tonight," Billie repeated. "I think we should all go home and get some sleep. We can re-group in the morning."  
The two men nodded in agreement and they all made their way silently to the door. Arthur was the last to step over the threshold and as he slowly closed the door behind him he could help feel that Loose was right their with him. As if he could smell her perfume fill the air, as if he could hear her breath, it was almost as if she was still in the house. Arthur couldn't help but imagine as he left that he saw across the living room, Loose's bedroom door open a crack as if while they spoke she had been sitting in the next room.


End file.
